A Cat's Puppet Love
by Shikaido Yuki
Summary: Even Kyo had had a crush. It was a long time ago. He went jogging, and met the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Her name is Natsumi. She's bad at P.E. and agreed for a training with Kyo. Oh, she's also terribly afraid of cats. Pls R&R!
1. Nostalgia

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of Fruits Baskets characters. If there are any characters unknown to the story, then they are mine.**

**-----**

**A Cat's Puppet Love**

_by: Shikaido Yuki_

_**CHAPTER 1**_

_**Nostalgia **_

Summer holiday. The sun was shining brightly, bathing the people it saw with warm sunlight. Ahh, the tension of school and exams were finally over. Summer? Summer is the time to party 'til you drop!

Anyhow, the people in the Soma Residence didn't seem to enjoy the warm sun that much. Yuki was gardening in his private garden, Shigure was still having his eight-hour sleep, and Toru was reading a book of recipes in the living room, peacefully sitting on her legs with the book opened on the table in front of her.

The door was sled open to let the wind breeze in, and outside, slept Soma Kyo, the cat.

He turned left and right and he perspired. Then, as if in agony, he moaned, "Natsumi... Natsumi..." He clenched his hands in tight fists.

Toru, who was near to him, could hear his moans. She leaned in to Kyo, still did not know what to do.

"Natsumi..." he moaned huskily. Kyo sounded so desperate and so longing.

Toru shook him softly, but still no result. She tried harder this time.

"Kyo-kun, wake up..."

"NO!" Kyo shouted as his eyes sprang open.

He blinked at the sight of Toru sitting beside him, leaning above him.

"Aa...!" He jerked up.

_DHUG!_

The horrible sound was the sound of Kyo's forehead meeting with Toru's.

"Ouch!" Kyo gritted. Toru just bared the pain; a tear escaped from her eye.

A while later, both of them sat down in the dining room with icepacks on their foreheads and two cups of hot tea in front of them. Toru was smiling, "I wonder who the 'Natsumi' is you were moaning when you were asleep?"

Kyo's face turned bright red.

"Whoever she is, she must be a very special person. Maybe I will have a chance to meet her some time in the future, if Kyo-kun let me."

Silence.

Toru glanced at the clock, put down her icepack, and stood up. "I have to buy some groceries for dinner, Kyo-kun." She was at the door, "See you."

"If you want to meet her, then you'll have to wait for a very long time," Kyo suddenly said.

Toru froze. "Eh?"

"She's in the US."

"US? How..."

"It happened three years ago."

Toru closed the door behind her and sat down again, ready to hear Kyo telling her his story, and totally forgetting her groceries.

"It was six in the morning..."

**---FLASH BACK---**

_Kriing!_

Kyo's alarm woke him up at five thirty that day, a little later than usual because he was not having school, either that day or the next thirteen days. He and his friends at school were given some time to study their materials for the final exams, which would be held two weeks from now. For the next two weeks, he'd have to study. No school didn't mean a holiday; it meant perfect time to study – hard.

For the first day of 'studying at home', Kyo didn't feel like studying at all. Not that time, at least. Not at five thirty in the morning. He needed to move himself a bit, something like 'stretching' before the real activities of the day began.

And so, he dressed up in simple T-shirt and shorts, and then left the dojo he was staying in for the public park.

He didn't need to be sneaky; Shishou was there when he passed the main dojo and he nodded in approval. Kyo saw it as the getaway ticket and fled.

The fresh air in the morning was indescribable. Kyo took a deep breath and felt the freshness filling his lungs. He felt recharged and not sleepy anymore. Amazing! It almost reached winter so the air was a bit chilly. Hey, that was why he was exercising! As the morning mist began to disappear, Kyo arrived at the public park and started jogging on the narrow path among the trees.

_I wish the weather wouldn't change forever,_ he thought. The weather was the perfect combination that day; both cold and sunny. He didn't have to suffer the scorching heat very much and still got the chance to see the sun.

Kyo jogged, and jogged. As he got tired, the trees started to disappear. The view changed again to a beautiful green landscape with a small lake. There was a bench for him to rest. Oh, lucky, there were also a guy selling cold drinks and sodas, and hotdogs. Just them, and other people who were exercising as well.

_Whoever person designed this park, he must be a genius._

Kyo bought a bottle of mineral water. He preferred drinking water with the room temperature to cold water. To drink cold water after exercising is not very good for the health either because the inside of your body is still hot. Sure, it will give some people great sensation, but for Kyo, he would get what some people called 'brain-freeze'. _And believe me,_ he thought,_ it was not a great feeling._

He drained half of the content of the bottle and threw himself in the bench.

_Haah... so fresh. I feel so free, _he smiled.

One or two minutes later, he saw a girl jogging towards him. She was very beautiful with back-length, wavy, reddish-brown hair in high ponytail and spectacles hanging on her nose. With the brave outfit she wore, how could a man turn away? Everything about her was perfect, her height, her face... She was probably the most beautiful woman Kyo had ever seen in his life. The girl was wet of sweat and she was breathing hard, as if so desperate to suck in the air.

Kyo knew if she kept her pace up and didn't rest, she'd collapse. How secure could it be for a pretty girl if she collapsed? _As secure as waving your wallet in front of a thief, I bet. _However, as he looked around, no one seemed interested or even willing to help her. Heck, no one even glanced at her! What happened to sane, normal men in this world?

Someone had to do something, and it was he.

Kyo bought another bottle of mineral water and still kept the seal on. He didn't want the girl to think that he was trying to do something bad to her.

He blocked her way and flung his arm to give her the bottle of mineral water. "Here," he said rather curtly (as usual...).

The girl stopped and bent down to catch her breath. "Excuse me... you're... blocking... my way...," she said breathlessly.

"I know, that's exactly what I want. You have to take five. Here, have a drink."

The girl was still breathless, but she still had enough strength to stand straight and put her hands on her hips. "Look. I don't know you and you don't know me," she said patiently, "Let's not interfere with each other's business."

Kyo retorted, "Look. I don't know you and you don't know me, but if you keep that up, you're gonna collapse. You're sweating quite heavily, you must have a drink."

The girl thought for a few seconds, and with a grin, took the mineral water Kyo held in his hand, sat on the bench, and then opened the seal. She drank it until the very last drop.

She wiped her mouth with her handkerchief and smiled thankfully at Kyo, who had placed himself beside her, "Thanks, kid. If it weren't for you, I might have collapsed."

"It's just human nature to help each other," he shrugged, still not smiling. So typical of him; Kyo is not the type of guy who gives out smiles very easily.

"I see. Na, why don't we introduce ourselves?" the girl said, "My name is Karina Natsumi, call me Natsumi. What's yours?"

"Soma Kyo," he replied shortly.

Natsumi smiled. "I know the Soma family." She played with her empty bottle and asked again, "So where do you go to school?"

"At Higarashi Junior High, I'm in the eighth grade of Junior High School."

"Higarashi High is a school only for boys, right? No girls allowed?"

Kyo nodded.

"Well... I go to Tachibana High and I'm in the in my last year of High School."

Kyo automatically said, "The twelfth grade?! I thought you're about my age!"

Natsumi only chuckled politely.

"Hmm... I'm kinda wondering about something though..." He hesitated, but asked anyway, "Why were you so persistent to continue your jog, knowing the fact that your body couldn't hold on any longer? Are you on diet or something?"

"I can say that I'm definitely not on diet. I'm perfectly satisfied with how I look," Natsumi replied softly.

_If she wasn't satisfied with how she looked like, she must be insane, _Kyo thought.

Natsumi continued again, now her gaze was fixed on the ground, "You see... My final exams are coming up two weeks from now. The teachers are wise enough to give us total free-time to study for the exams in these two weeks." She sighed, "And you see... because I'm in my final grade in High School, there will be practical exams, not just the theories. I know I can ace the Biology, Physics, even Home Economics because I'm pretty good at cooking and stuff. But... I am dreadful in Physical Education."

The last sentence definitely surprised Kyo, who always gets an A in every test his P.E. teacher gives. But he didn't say anything and let Natsumi continued her explanation.

She smiled sadly, "It isn't funny, right, to not graduate because of P.E.? If I get below sixty in this practical final exam then I can say bye-bye to my graduation day. That is why I'm trying so hard to make myself stronger and more capable of moving my body in better coordination." She raised her head and looked directly at Kyo, "I wish I could be more like you, you know. You seem more athletic. But then again, you _are _a boy and boys are always so great in P.E. I'm so jealous..."

Kyo did NOT think when he said these following sentences:

"I think I'm pretty good at sports. Maybe I can teach you some of my exercising tricks. I'm having some problems myself in my theory studies so perhaps we can help each other out. How about it?"

He bit his lower lip the moment he finished saying his sentences. Oh, how stupid of him to offer such a silly help! Natsumi would definitely refuse; she was four years older than he was! She must consider him as only a kid.

The result was far as he had expected.

Natsumi's eyes sparkled. Her hands clapped in a prayerful gesture and she was smiling widely, "Oh yes! Kyo-kun, that's a marvelous idea! I'd love to have you teach me some of your tricks!"

Kyo did not know how to react in this kind of situation. Well, at least his tactics worked.

"Let's switch numbers!" Natsumi cheered as she reached her tiny waist-bag and took out her cell phone. Kyo did the same, too, and they switched numbers.

"Maybe we can meet here at six in the morning tomorrow," Kyo suggested, standing up and stretched his long legs. No matter how long his legs were, Natsumi was still taller. Ha, he did not realize that before.

"Six? Isn't that... too early?"

"I don't think so," Kyo retorted. "Let me warn you, Natsumi, I'm not going to be a soft guy no matter how cute you are." He stuffed his mouth with his fist after that.

Natsumi jumped from her seat and smiled cheerfully, "I know that you're actually very kind inside, Kyo-kun! You're just acting like a bully!"

Kyo glared at her and she ignored it.

Natsumi grinned, "Six a.m. it is. I have to go now, Kyo-kun! See you tomorrow!" With that, she fled.

Kyo quietly smiled in his mind, _oho, this next two weeks was not going to be very boring after all. _

_Not boring at all._

**-----**

**To be continued!**

I'm sorry if Kyo doesn't sound like himself... I'm trying my best here. Thank you for reading! By the way, reviews are greatly appreciated... Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	2. First Time

**Aah! Thanks so much for the review!**

**MyMusesSpeakToMe: **Thanks so much for taking the time to review! I really appreciate you to look at my story with such a critical eye. :) (And now I know what Mary Sue means...)

On with the story!

**(Standard Disclaimer Applied)**

_**CHAPTER 2**_

_**First time**_

The next morning, Kyo and Natsumi both arrived at six o'clock sharp at the park, near the bench and the hotdog guy. They came from opposite directions, wearing sports outfit.

They were ready for battle.

Natsumi brought a huge bag along with her. Inside it, were all the things they needed for the exercise dedicated for Natsumi. Kyo himself brought a small backpack with his own supplies.

Natsumi took out her mattress cover and put it on the green grass, covering the spot they were going to use for their exercise.

She smiled in satisfaction and put her hands on her hips, "So, what to do now, Kyo-_sensei_?" She put a mocking emphasis on the last word.

"Don't you dare call me that!" Kyo snarled.

Natsumi giggled and teased him even more. Kyo decided to give up, but his face was purple.

He said, "Okay. Let's begin. First of all, we have to stretch. Pull your arms and straighten your legs, like what you do when you yawn."

Both of them stretched and pulled. When they were a little sweaty, the real training began.

"Good thing you brought your mattress over. Lay there and do 50 sets of sit-ups," Kyo instructed.

Natsumi's smile disappeared. Now her face was in disbelief and pure horror. "What!? FIFTY?!"

Kyo retorted, "Do you want to ace your final exam or not? Yes, I said fifty, and if you refuse, I'll say a hundred in the next three seconds. One, two – "

Natsumi immediately laid down on her checked-mattress cover and did sit-ups. "Ay, Sir! One! Two! Three!" She did fifteen sit-ups vigorously before she stopped.

Kyo, who was supervising, said, "What happened?! Why do you stop? You've done only fifteen sit-ups! I said fifty, didn't I?"

Breathless, Natsumi replied weakly, "So... Tired... can't... do... this... anymore..."

Kyo squatted beside her helped her to sit up again. He shouted, "Yes, you can! You can do fifty sit-ups! You can do it!"

As if hypnotized, Natsumi continued her sit-ups, but now, slower than before. "Sixteen, seventeen... _Uughh_... Eighteen... Nine... Teen..."

And so on.

After doing fifty sit-ups, Natsumi was about to collapse, but Kyo somehow managed to make her not to. He bought her a bottle of mineral water, which she drained until the very last drop, before instructing her to jog around the park – twice!

"I can't do this," Natsumi said, almost in tears. "I'm so sore!"

Kyo frowned. "Of course you can! You can do this! YOU CAN DO THIS! Don't you want to ace your final exam? Don't you want to graduate high-school?"

Natsumi strengthened herself and pushed herself up. She jogged slowly, with Kyo by her side. The fact that Kyo was there beside her made her feel a bit calmer. Somehow, she trusted that Orange-Headed Guy. He might look rude and heartless, but she knew it was for her own good.

"Go, go, go! Faster!" Kyo shouted. Although his tone was not very friendly either, his words were definitely effective. He was supportive but did not know the right way to show it.

10 a.m.

Natsumi did not have any energy left in her to stand up. She just lost balance and threw herself on the green grass, not willing to pick herself up again. She was wet of sweat and every inch of her body was protesting in pain.

Kyo, on the other hand, still seemed as fresh as ever. He was not tired at all. To be truthful, he felt even stronger than before!

Seeing Natsumi like that, Kyo knew that his training really did beat her up and push her to her limits. _But it will work,_ he thought, _I just believe it will. _

Kyo folded Natsumi's thin mattress neatly and put it back into her bag. He threw her towel towards her, who was too lazy to catch it and just let it lay on her abdomen.

"Come on, Natsumi!" Kyo said, as he opened another bottle of mineral water. This time, he had the water cold.

Natsumi only glanced at him, then rolled to the right, "Want... to... sleep..."

Kyo's veins started to pop out. He then thought of an excellent idea, and immediately did it.

He poured his cold water onto Natsumi's head.

"COLD!" Natsumi screamed, as she jerked up. She was stunned for a few seconds before realizing that it was Kyo who poured the icy water onto her head. "Kyo! You're gonna pay for this!"

"Try me," Kyo retorted. "We're going to study again this evening, right? You must go home and take a shower, then take a nap or something, right?"

Natsumi's rage died down. She was too tired to be angry. "Yes. Meet me at Cafe Latte at 4 p.m. You know where it is, don't you?"

"O'course I do! What do you think I am? An isolated maniac?" Kyo replied harshly as he picked himself up. He walked away and waved, "See you later, Natsumi."

Natsumi waved back and put the towel around her neck before she went home.

**XOX**

Kyo arrived early at the Cafe Latte. It was fifteen to four when he sat down on one of the tables outside and ordered a slice of cake with a glass of cold water. He brought his mathematics book, planning to study the annoying formulas of circle. Of all other math subjects such as triangle, rectangle and square... he could not understand circle perfectly just like he did with the other subjects! Argh. Perhaps he had been too lazy. Perhaps, with Natsumi, he could do better.

"Hi!"

Kyo looked up and saw Natsumi. She wore white turtleneck shirt, jeans, and black boots and brought a postman bag that was bulging with books._ Is this study session some sort of a date for her to wear such nice clothes? _Kyo shook his head vigorously and tried his best not to blush for even the _thought_ of having a date with Natsumi.

Natsumi sat in a seat in front of Kyo and put her some of her own books on the table. "I'm studying geometry today. What about you?"

"Euhm... math. The circle... I don't understand the formulas very well."

"I see. Let's study together, perhaps that can help."

Both of them opened their books and started memorizing the formulas. Kyo brought his file-holder and wrote something on the papers, some kind of complicated note for him to study easier.

Natsumi's formulas were even more complicated than Kyo's. That was clear because she was in her final year in high school and Kyo was still in the second grade of junior high!

5.15 p.m.

"Are you tired, Kyo?" Natsumi suddenly broke the silence. She did not wait for Kyo to answer, "Well, my head is splitting up. Let's rest for... say, fifteen minutes?"

Kyo stopped writing in his file-holder and put his books away for just a moment. Natsumi did the same as well, she also waved to a waitress to order.

The waitress approached them with a gentle, yet somehow annoyed smile. "Are you ready to order, Sir and Ma'am?"

Kyo's veins started to pound. How rude of her to smile at them like that!? Didn't he order a slice of cake and a glass of water before Natsumi arrived? If it weren't for the cafe's beautiful view and nice surroundings, he would never eat there again. Period. He took the menu from the waitress' hand harshly and started to read, although his mind was far from the menu.

Natsumi glanced at Kyo and immediately knew that he was starting to get angry. She knew that this new friend of hers has quite a temper. However, he also has nice qualities aside of that as well. Kyo is honest and loyal. He would never betray anyone for anything. That was what Natsumi thought and liked about him.

She kicked his foot under the table and received a flaring glare from him.

Natsumi turned to the waitress, who was tapping her pen vigorously on the notebook because Natsumi and Kyo were really taking their time to choose what they wanted. The waitress' annoyed smile was still there and somehow, Natsumi felt a bit annoyed too. It was weird, because Natsumi was usually a patient person, especially dealing with this kind of situation.

"Excuse me, but may I know your name, Miss?" Natsumi asked with her sweetest voice.

Both Kyo and the waitress looked at her as if she was crazy.

The waitress was baffled, but replied anyway, "I'm... Riiko."

Natsumi turned to Kyo and smiled, "Isn't Riiko-san's smile sweet, ne, Kyo-kun? It's as if she is trying to kick us out of here with her smile! How... _unique_."

It was more than clear that Natsumi's sarcasm really hit the target.

Natsumi looked up again at the waitress, "Are we not allowed to bring our studies here, Riiko-san?" She was smiling, but her tone was sharp.

The waitress, Riiko, was definitely taken aback. "O-Of c-course – "

"Or do you own this cafe?" Natsumi cut her off cleanly. "Or perhaps, your relative does?"

"N-No, Ma'am.."

Natsumi narrowed her eyes and said sharply, "Then why are you acting like the ruler of this world? Do you want us to order quickly? Don't you see us reading the menu? Or do you think we're from a rich family that can order everything you have in this cafe?"

Riiko could not answer. She just dropped her gaze at the floor.

Sometimes, Natsumi could lose control, like she did now. Normally she was very patient, but she hated people who thought they were the rulers of this world – she hated arrogant people. If she met with one, her sharp tongue was on the move and before she knew it, those arrogant people usually ran away from her in tears.

Natsumi's tone did not rise, only sharpened and colder in every word. Her expression did not change, too, still as casual and relaxed as always. _She must be a terrific poker player_, Kyo said to himself mentally.

"Seeing someone like you make me lose my appetite, Riiko-san. Have another waiter or waitress for us – or... you'd like to _pretend_ you own this cafe and want to kick us out of here?"

Riiko's voice was squeaky and frightened when she answered, "I-I'll get you another waiter." She quickly turned away and ran.

Kyo looked at Natsumi from his menu. "Was that necessary?"

Natsumi looked at him in the eye. Her eyes were flashing dangerously, "Do you mind?" However, her expression or her tone didn't change at all. Eyes are really the windows to your soul.

Kyo sighed, "You are just like a relative of mind. One moment he's very wise like an adult, another time, he'll explode!"

"Do you wear glasses? No? Then how come you said I was like your relative, who 'exploded'?"

Instead of getting angry, Kyo sweatdropped - which was very rare of him not to get mad. "You sound just like Haru, just a bit different, that was what I meant. Sometimes, Haru's tongue can be very sharp, but he also uses violence as well." When Natsumi was about to say something else, Kyo said, "No need to reply what I just said. No matter how hard you try, you won't annoy me." (That was, of course, very untrue).

"Wanna try?"

A waiter approached their table with a wide smile. A wide, _seemingly_ honest smile. "Wow, my friends and I thank you very much, Miss!"

Natsumi put her hands in a prayerful gesture, waiting for the waiter's next words.

The waiter added again, "Riiko has been very cocky since her first day here. Thank you again, Miss."

"Are you here to thank me or – "

"I'm very sorry, Miss! What would you like to order?" The waiter smiled, and got ready with his pen in his chubby fingers.

"A cup of espresso," Natsumi said. "What about you, Kyo?"

"Green tea."

"A cup of espresso and a glass of green tea. Coming right up!" With that, he fled.

Natsumi and Kyo didn't speak anything for a moment. It was Natsumi, who finally broke the silence, "I'm sorry I lost control. My first intention was just to tease her but it seems like my plan didn't work very well and I ended up blasting you as well. I'm sorry, Kyo-kun."

"What are you sorry for? She deserved it! If you didn't say anything, I would have!"

Natsumi smiled. "Anyway, here's a question I've been dying to ask. How can you be so good at sports that you're able to train me? You're just in the second grade of junior high, aren't you? Who trained you? Are you some kind of an athletic champion?"

"I live in a dojo, of course I'm good at martial arts, and it also includes sports."

"Wow! Your father owns the dojo, right? He must be an awesome dad!"

Kyo didn't say anything.

"Tomorrow... in the park, six a.m. again, right?" Natsumi said.

"Yeah."

The green tea had never tasted so relaxing.

**-----**

**To be continued**

Stay tuned and thank you for reading! And... reviews are greatly appreciated.


	3. Cats

**(Standard Disclaimer Applied)**

_**CHAPTER 3**_

_**Cats**_

It was the fifth day of their training. As usual, the sun was shining but the air was cold. Natsumi and Kyo liked it that way and were thankful with it.

Natsumi was now able to control her breath and energy. She was able to do fifty sit-ups without stopping (although she almost choked her heart out) and run 800 meters, also without stopping (again, almost choking her heart out). It was far from perfect, but she was progressing very quickly.

That morning, at 8.30, both of them sat on a bench near by for a rest. Both were drinking water from their bottles and at the same time, covering their energy back.

It was at that moment, that Natsumi heard the voice she feared the most.

"_Meow_."

Kyo straightened himself and saw dozens of cats running excitedly towards him, and surrounding him before he could react. The cats meowed and purred; they acted as if they were Kyo's pets.

"Argh! Get out of here!" Kyo shouted at the cute creatures, stomping his feet.

Those little creatures seemed to do not understand. Well, of course they didn't. They were cats.

"Damn it! Natsumi, let's get out of here – " Kyo didn't continue his sentence when he looked at Natsumi.

She was frozen in her seat, her eyes focused on the nearest cat, which was sitting near her foot. She was, more than clear, frightened to her bones.

"Natsumi...?" Kyo called her name hesitantly. More confused than ever.

Tears started to form in Natsumi's eyes, and before he knew it, she was gone.

She ran away with marvelous speed, leaving her belongings behind and seemed to not care about them anymore.

Kyo put a hand behind his neck and murmured lazily, "If only she uses that strength and determination in practices."

Her belongings were still there. What should he do with it? Should he wait for her to return? She was scared to death by God-knows-what, he doubted she'd return.

Hopefully, Shishou wouldn't ask any strange questions regarding to the two bags he was carrying home. Hopefully, Natsumi would call – and explain – soon. If there were no news from her until five p.m., he was going to sell her stuff away.

It was worth of humiliating him in front of _every living creatures_ in the park. All the people were staring at him as he walked by, probably thinking that he was a maniac or something like that. Natsumi's bag was bright pink. Go figure.

Oh yes, 1500 yen for the bag and many more.

**XOX**

Kyo dropped his bag and Natsumi's in his bedroom before heading for a quick shower. He didn't want to smell for the next seven and a half hours.

Taking a bath after a hard training is very refreshing. The cold water running down on your back, the fresh air you can breathe... ahh, very satisfying indeed. However, because he was a guy, the enjoyment would not be that long. Ten minutes is enough, even a bit too long. With a whole new feeling, he went out from the bathroom and got dressed.

Perhaps Natsumi would call. Heck, she was not the type of person who would disappear without any memo. Kyo grabbed his cell phone and found that he was right. There were two missed calls and one SMS. The SMS was sent only a couple of minutes ago, when he was in the shower.

He read it:

_I'm so sorry I ran away. We're still gonna study together this evening, right? Same cafe as always?_

Kyo pushed the reply button and typed:

_Sure. Why did you run away anyway? Afraid of the cats?_

A minute later, the reply came in:

_Well... I'll tell you about everything later. See you._

Kyo read for a while, then napped until three. He then got ready for the study with Natsumi and fled.

As always, he arrived five minutes early. As always, Natsumi had not arrived yet. As always, she showed up at exactly four p.m.

"H-Hi," Natsumi greeted him rather nervously. Her cheeks were pink and he could see that her hands were shivering. She sat in front of him and ordered an orange juice before letting out a long, deep sigh.

"The ultimate question of the year now is... Why did you run away?" Kyo said straight to the point. He hated waiting.

Natsumi glared at him. "I'm getting to that." She sighed again. "It's _very_ embarrassing. God, it's _beyond_ embarrassing." She buried her face in her hands.

"Spit it out. I'll laugh when I want to laugh," Kyo said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Natsumi squeaked almost desperately, "I have some sort of phobia. I'm..." Another sigh, "I'm scared of cats."

That news was like a giant rock dropped upon Kyo's shoulder.

Natsumi is scared of cats.

_Cats_.

He, when hugged by the opposite sex, turns into a _cat_ for goodness' sake!

Still horrorstruck, Kyo managed to stutter, "Y-You must have a... a reason for that."

Natsumi played with her nails. "Well, I have a little brother, see. He's seven years younger than me. When he was 10 months old, I found the cutest little cat and decided to take it in. My brother loved the cat so much and played with it... and the next thing I knew the cat was hissing like mad and scratching my little brother so bad! I pulled the cat away from him but it scratched me instead. I immediately threw the cat away. My little brother still has scars from that day. And ever since then... I'm quite afraid of cats."

Kyo was dumbfounded. He was about to speak when - again - herds of cats came from everywhere and gathered around him.

Natsumi was in horror and she screamed on top of her lungs. She sobbed uncontrollably in her seat, perhaps too scared to even move. Her eyes were squeezed shut.

Kyo sighed and lifted a kitten by its neck. He put the kitten on the desk in front of Natsumi. "Go ahead, Natsumi-san, stroke it. It's completely harmless."

Natsumi shook her head vigorously.

Beginning to grow impatient, Kyo put the kitten on Natsumi's lap. Natsumi squealed in fear and the kitten jumped to the table in front of her. Natsumi risked a glance and the creature stared back at her with such big, innocent eyes; her trauma seemed too silly now.

Kyo cleared his throat. "Maybe your little brother incidentally hurt the cat and it panicked, then it attacked in self defense. Honest, cats are okay. They are elegant, egoist, and perhaps the laziest creatures on Earth... and they love their homes very much. But like other animals, they can also be angry if they feel threatened. As long as they trust you, it should be okay."

Natsumi gingerly patted the kitten's head. It purred rather cutely.

"Good thing we're outside," Natsumi half laughed-half sobbed nervously. "If we were inside the cafe the owner wouldn't like all these cats here. How come all these cats are gathered around _you_, Kyo-kun?"

Kyo scowled. "I don't know, okay?" He shooed the cats away. "Anyway, let's continue studying."

Natsumi chuckled in agreement and was soon concentrating in her calculus.

For the rest of their two-weeks break, Kyo always brought a cat for their study session. Natsumi's fear was slowly subsiding - he really did manage to pick the cutest cats to bring.

After that, the exams.

**-----**

**To be continued. Reviews are greatly appreciated! :) One more chapter before fin.**


	4. Saying Goodbye, Saying Hello

**(Standard Disclaimer Applied)**

_**CHAPTER 4**_

_**Saying goodbye, saying hello**_

The exams were tiring. But the preparation was even more tiring, in Kyo's opinion. After the two weeks of full studying, he didn't find the exam week too much of a trouble. He even still had time to call Natsumi from time to time and send emails to her.

"My friends were all dumbstruck when I sprinted the 50 meters track with no trouble at all! My time was awesome, too. Even the teachers were quite shocked!" Natsumi laughed when she called Kyo on the phone one day. "Thanks a lot, Kyo-kun! You really helped me through the P.E. hell today!"

Kyo couldn't help but smile at Natsumi's cheerfulness. "I also did quite well on my math exam. The shortcut formula you thought me really worked. Thanks for that, I guess."

"Aww Kyo, you're so shy! It's no problem at all!"

Kyo silently thanked the God that he was on the phone, or else Natsumi could see him blush. Only a little, though! Not too red.

Soma Kyo simply does_ NOT_ blush!

A few weeks after the exams, they met again at the mall. Bored with coffee and juices, this time they had ice-creams.

"I got accepted at WCL - Washington College of Law," Natsumi suddenly blurted out. "I can't believe it myself, but I can finally pursue my dream of studying law in the US."

Kyo was silent for quite a while. "When will you leave?"

"Not immediately, that's for sure. There are a lot of things to prepare first," she smiled, licking her melting ice cream.

"If... if you study law in the US... that means you're going to live your life there, right? I mean... you're not going to return to Japan anymore, right?" His tone was more like: _You'll leave me, won't you?_

Natsumi laughed out loud and messed up Kyo's orange hair. "You're such a silly boy, Kyo-kun! Of course I'm going to live in America, but it's still a very far future! I need to worry about graduation first! And I'll be coming home during the holidays! I'll be visiting you for sure then."

Kyo frowned. "Don't bother to!" It came out a little harsher than he expected and he continued, in stutters, "C-Congratulations, I g-guess..."

Natsumi giggled and pinched Kyo's cheeks, "Oh, you're such a cute boy! Aren't you proud of your big sister? Aren't you? _Aren't you_?"

"Argh! Stop it, Natsumi! I'm not a baby, you know!"

**-----**

Departure day. October 18th.

"Though I really don't agree with you skipping school just to see me go, I really appreciate it, Kyo-kun," Natsumi smiled widely. She was clearly excited of her new adventure in the far away land.

"I have nothing to do anyway!" Kyo retorted harshly, but with a visible blush.

Natsumi leaned in and whispered to his ear, "You know Kyo, all my friends adore your looks! We all agree you're such a handsome boy." He blushed into deep crimson, making Natsumi smile even wider. She then quickly planted a kiss on his cheek.

Kyo was speechless. He stuttered something but it wasn't understandable.

"Oh! I almost forgot." Natsumi reached her bag and gave Kyo a photo. "For memories," she said, smiling. "You'll always be my lovely little brother, Kyo. See you again."

And with that, Natsumi was gone from Kyo's life.

Their meeting was somewhat short, but meaningful. Kyo had never been excited to prepare for exams before, but ever since the meeting with Natsumi, he always does.

**-- END OF FLASHBACK--**

"Ne, ne, Kyo-kun, do you still have the photo that Natsumi-san gave you?" Toru asked, tugging Kyo's sleeve as she did so.

"Of course." Kyo reached into his wallet and showed Toru the worn-out picture.

The photo was taken by a waiter in Cafe Latte after Natsumi and Kyo's study session, upon Natsumi's request. There was even a cat in the picture, which was leaning smugly against Natsumi's leg. Kyo himself looked like he was scowling then. He hated being photographed but he couldn't just throw away that particular photo.

"She's so beautiful!" was Toru's immediate reaction. She gazed at the photo for a few seconds before (finally) looked at the clock.

"Oh my goodness!!! I forgot to go to the grocery store!" she screamed and stood up in a hurry. "I'll be back in a moment, Kyo-kun!" Toru quickly grabbed her purse and opened the front door.

At the door, stood a woman. Toru only stared at her - she seemed really familiar....

"AWAWAWAWAWAWAAAA!!" Toru screamed again, throwing her purse to the ceiling. "N-Natsumi-san?!"

"Eh? How do you know my name?" the woman was confused. She was even prettier than her photo, and now she had had her hair cropped short.

"K-Kyo-kun! N-Natsumi... Awawa, please come in, Natsumi-san!"

Natsumi smiled and came into the house. She even still had her suitcase with her. "Don't mind if I do. What's your name?"

"T-Toru! My name is Toru!"

Natsumi gave Toru a bear hug. "Thanks for letting me in, Toru-chan!"

"What's all this commotion about, Toru? You'll wake Shigure up..." Kyo's voice trailed off once he saw Natsumi.

"Ah! Kyo-kun! I've missed you!" Natsumi let go of Toru and approached Kyo. She didn't hug him though. Instead, she leaned in and (surprisingly) kissed Kyo in the cheek.

He froze in his mid-step and blushed red instantly - even his ears were red too. Toru also blushed a little because of Natsumi's bravery to do such things.

"Hello, Kyo! I didn't think you'll get married this soon! When were you married by the way, and why wasn't I invited?" Natsumi playfully pouted her lips.

"Because you were in the US, you idiot!" Kyo snapped.

Natsumi giggled and hugged Toru by the shoulder. "So, Toru-chan... how was the honeymoon? Did he 'perform' well in bed?"

Toru blushed - she was practically purple. "I-It's not like that, Natsumi-san! Kyo and I aren't married!"

Natsumi teased, "Well, I really thought you two were married! The sign in this house clearly states it's a Soma house... and Kyo's last name is Soma, and I only saw the two of you in the house..." she chuckled when she saw both Kyo and Toru blushing like mad and protesting.

"Anyway," Natsumi said seriously. "I need a place to stay during my holiday in Japan for two weeks. Can I stay here? My parents are away for their umpteenth honeymoon at God-knows-where."

"Of course, Natsumi-san!" Toru replied cheerfully.

Kyo hit Toru on the head lightly, "This isn't your house, you idiot. But you're welcome here anyway, Natsumi. I'm sure Shigure wouldn't mind. And uh..." he glanced at Natsumi nervously.

Natsumi scooted over to Kyo. "Mm-hmm? I sense you have something more to say, Kyo-kun..."

"I-I'm just glad you're keeping your promise! That's all!" he exclaimed and immediately stomped to his room afterwards.

Natsumi's face broke into a wide grin. She shouted, "I miss you too, Little Brother!"

**.Fin.**

Shigure: "Another girl staying at the house definitely made my day... and she's so hot! Ayame and Hatori must be so jealous!"

Yuki: *hits Shigure on the head* "You're such a pervert. Aren't you worried at all about our secret?"

Shigure: "Well, she'll be here for only two weeks. We can surely hold ourselves for just two weeks! Kyo is so lucky! Toru is cute, and Natsumi is so hot!"

Kyo: "Stop it, Shigure! Isn't this fanfic finished?"

Author: "It is. Cut it out guys..."

Shigure: "I still can't believe I didn't show up at once!"

Author: *sigh* "Okay, this fanfic is really at its end!"

**.... Really Fin.**


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